Unexpected
by Mayorie
Summary: Soujiro travels searching for his answers. who knows what he might find along the way. CHAPTER 3 is now AVAILABLE!!!! YAY!!!!!
1. Default Chapter

AN: ok, this is my first Rurouni Kenshin fic. So please be gentle. *grins* and do I really have to do the disclaimer dance?  
  
*shrugs* guess I do. Ok, here goes. *takes a deep breath and shouts*  
  
I OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN AND ALL ITS CHARACTERS!!!!!!!!!!...  
  
*a pause* OK, maybe that didn't come out right. *bonks herself on the head* that was just wishful thinking on my part.  
  
OK, lets try that again.. *takes another deep breath...... and whispers*  
  
"I don't own Rurouni Kenshin." She glances around, hoping against hope that no one heard her.  
  
OK, now ON WITH THE STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
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He stared at his hands, and haunting memories kept flashing through his mind... the glint of steel, the whistle of the blade, the clashing of swords, and finally the gore. Blood, splatters of it, dripping, dripping and dripping. .... He continued to stare at them, with blank eyes that seem too convey disbelief and denial at the same time. Outside his window, lightning flashed.  
  
*knock* "excuse me." the sound seemed to snap him out of his reverie. He glances at the door and plasters his smile in place.  
  
"come in"  
  
He watches as the lady places a fresh pitcher of water beside the basin on the sidetable. The simple routinary action seems to reel his mind back to the present. He was staying at an inn, choosing to sleep on a comfortable bed for once, rather than the hard ground that has become his norm as of late. He smiles sadly, rain always makes him relive his past. Memories which he would rather forget. The lady bows to him and goes out the door. "Arigatou" he bids her. He shakes his head, as if to shake away the grip of his unfortunate past.. maa maa. I seem to be a bit off tonight. Might as well go down and join the others for diner' *sighs* he gets up, fastens his katana securely on his waist and makes his way for the restaurant down below.  
  
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"oi! More sake!!"  
  
"Did you hear about the recent murder..."  
  
"My wife is having a fit! She kicked me out of the house.."  
  
Noise greeted the young man as he entered the establishment. But, unfazed, he calmly makes his way to an empty table at the far end of the room. A waitress immediately materialized at his side. The boy glances up, warm brown eyes looking at the girl who's patiently waiting to take his order. Whoa! The service here is pretty fast. He thinks, impressed. hmm. lets see..  
  
"uh I think I'll have a plain soba and some miso soup".  
  
The girl nods, "Hai. Please wait for awhile while we prepare your order."  
  
Then, she walks away leaving the boy to ponder, heading towards the kitchen.  
  
So, I'm alone again. After all these years of serving under you, I'm alone again, Shishio-san. Although its not so bad really. Just different. But not bad. Not bad at all.  
  
He just kept on with his internal conversation. Lost in his thoughts. He didn't notice the fleeting glances that were thrown at him by the other patrons. He looked strange. A boy in his late teens, dressed in a light blue gi with a dark blue hakama. All alone and staring at the wall before him, pondering about God knows what. I'm wandering all over Japan now Shishio-san. I'm trying to find myself, just like Himura-san did. I hope I'll find my answers, though I'm not really sure if ten years is enough. He often did this mental conversation with his dead mentor. The man was a bit demented, but he gave Soujiro the strength to survive all the years of this chaotic era. He gave Soujiro something when nobody else did. And to the boy that was called Soujiro, something sure was better than nothing.  
  
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"Here you go"  
  
Soujiro looks up. His order has arrived. Two steaming bowls were set in front of him. And after all that mental talk that he did, he found that he was indeed very hungry.  
  
"Arigatou" he murmurs.  
  
The girl just nods and walks away, off to serve the other patrons of the restaurant.  
  
Soujiro began eating. Noting how the soba tasted wonderfully against his tongue. And the hot soup just warmed him up. this is good food. Nothing really excellent, but nothing to complain about either. and after spending all his time on the road, feeding on nothing but smoked fish for weeks, the plain soba and miso soup tasted like heaven to him right now.  
  
He continued eating, but at the same time, he kept his ears open to the conversations that were going on around him. You never know what you might pick up while listening. Something useful might come up.  
  
"My wife just gave birth last night. I have a son!!!"  
  
"The restaurant down the street is nice too. They have this duck which they serve with.."  
  
"Hey have you heard about the murder that occurred last night in the next town."  
  
Soujiro looked up a bit. Twice now had he heard about that murder. The first time it slipped his mind a bit, but after a second mentioning of the topic, he began to get intrigued. So he strained his ears some more hoping to catch more of the conversation.  
  
"They say that that's the 3rd one this week. The first one was a couple, then after that a whole family was killed. They say its quite a sight. Those bodies mangled and shredded to pieces. Those poor children."  
  
"And you say this occurred just within a week? Ch' the things people do these days."  
  
"Murdering bastards."  
  
This is certainly interesting Soujiro thought. Not that he found the idea of murder shocking, after all, that was what he did before he gave up on that profession. Well, not really give up, more like reforming. It was hard to let go of his sword which has become a part of him all these years. But at least he had now given up on the thought of murdering innocent people. He was still in the process of trying to help people out. He didn't think that he would give up on killing anytime soon. He found it hard to defend the weak without killing the attackers. He was working on that though. But he didn't think that he would be able to change that quickly. He found it hard to completely shift from one mindset to another in such a short period of time.  
  
Perhaps I should go and pay that town a visit. Who knows what I might find there. Opportunities perhaps? Or maybe I'll find my answers. Anyway, its not as if I'm doing anything currently. With that, he finished his meal and made his way back up the stairs towards his room. Better have a goodnight's rest. I have a long journey ahead of me tomorrow.  
  
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The sun peaked out of the horizon. And at the early hour of six, Soujiro woke up and prepared his things for his travel. He stopped by the window and took a glance outside. He always loved this time of the day, when everything looked so peaceful and calm. So fresh before all the bustle that goes with the morning activity tampered with the scenery. *sigh* well, I have to get going and with that, Soujiro took his things and made his way out.  
  
He was walking a calm pace, admiring everything he passed by. He has been doing that quite often as of late. An indication that his soul was finally healing along. His gaze was soft as he took in the view. Soft fields blown by the wind. Green and forever stretching. And on the far side of the picture, there stood the mountains, proud and tall. A testimony to nature's power, a monolith of a monument.  
  
Soujiro took a deep breath and just smiled. Sure he smiled all the time, but this time his smile was a bit more genuine. Not the grinning mask that he usually wore. Life has been behaving lately. Maybe it is true that life is full of ups and downs. And when you've been down as I have, there is nowhere to go but up. he thought. Smiling again at his analogy. what do you think of me Shishio-san? Am I being foolish? Too much sentimentality. That is so unlike me. And I wonder if you think that I'm being idiotic. But I'm so much happier right now Shishio-san. Maybe I'll look like a fool to the world, but I'm happy. Shouldn't that count for something?. He stopped his mental tirade. This was going nowhere. His former master wouldn't answer back. And if he did, Soujiro wasn't sure if he was going to like the reply. He grinned at that. On second thought, he knew somewhat accurately what his former mentor was going to say. And it was nothing pretty. Infact, if one is overly sensitive, one might say its downright insulting. But then, Soujiro wasn't exactly sensitive. More like he had almost no emotions at all. He had only just recently started to tap into his emotional side. And though he knew it was an improvement, he still found the experience disconcerting.  
  
Too involved with his thoughts, Soujiro failed to notice the time of the day. He was just too immersed with the scene and his jumbled thoughts that he hadn't realized that it was now way past noon. But some things couldn't be ignored, however.  
  
*GURRK.*  
  
*GRUMBLE*  
  
Eep! He grinned sheepishly. Inwardly thankful that there hadn't been anyone around to hear that embarrassing sound. He patted his stomach lightly. must be time to eat. He scanned the surroundings, looking for a potential meal. His eyes spotted a glimmer beyond the trees, and after listening carefully, he was able to pick up the sound of flowing water. Ah. Yokatta. There's water nearby. Hopefully it might be a river or a stream. Maybe I can catch some fish there. He hurriedly made his way through the trees and found himself at the bank of a huge stream of water. It was so clear that he could easily see the bottom of it, though the water was probably knee deep. He scooped up some of the liquid with his palms and drank. Refreshing. Especially after a long day of travel in the heat of the sun He looked around. No fish though. *Shrug* Oh well, I could always eat some fruit anyway. He scanned the area. And finally, after a few minutes of looking, he found a tree that had some fruits on it. He didn't know what those fruits were called, but they looked delicious. He made his way over to his "lunch" and climbed up. It wasn't much of a challenge to him, and after a very short while, he had already gathered much of the fruit. He wasn't planning to eat all of them, but from his experience, you never know when you might get a chance to eat again. Food wasn't exactly lying around everywhere. So he was planning on bringing some of this fruit along, incase he gets hungry along the way.  
  
Munching on his fruit, Soujiro continued with his travel. The sun was way up in the sky now. And it was scorching hot. Wiping his brows with his sleeves, Soujiro grimaced. This is a bit too much he quickened his pace, the sooner I get to town, the better. Soujiro walked quickly and soon, his mind was filled only with the thoughts of a faster travel. His eyes no longer wandered around to observe the scenery. Right now, he was only concerned with getting out of the heat fast.  
  
Then, before he knew it, darkness had descended, and still no town was in sight. It must be farther than I thought *shrug* well at least the night is better than that burning sun. The cool night air blew through his hair, messing it up a bit. He gladly welcomed the wind though. His body was tired from all that walking, not to mention the heat that had sapped much of his strength. Carefully making his way to a tree, he leaned against it, placing his things beside him and clutching his sword, he slept and awaited the coming of the next day.  
  
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AN: ok that's it for now. I'll have to think of something for the next chapter. Tell me what you think. Suggestions? Reviews please..  
  
Mayorie ^_^' 


	2. a town

AN: here's the next chapter! Nothing much though. Read and enjoy!  
  
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Pink tendrils reached out of the sky, spreading and tainting everything within its reach. Dawn was breaking. And down below, a figure was resting quietly. Sitting with his sword clutched in his arms, breathing evenly in slumber. Suddenly, the figure shifts and a brown eye pops open. Mou. Morning already? a grimace settles on his face. *sigh* oh well, have to start walking again soon He got up and stretched his sore muscles. Then glanced around to see if everything was still in order. His belongings were still on the ground, beside his feet, and his sword was still there. He had plenty of food left, enough to last him to the next town. Well, at least he hoped it was enough, he didn't know how far the next town was going to be. He ran a hand through his hair.*Yawn* I really don't feel like walking yet. But I have to, if I want to get to the next town quickly. He thought. But before all that, breakfast is in order , be bent down and reached inside the sack that he was carrying, and grabbed a fruit. *Munch* good thing I found these yesterday. Saves me the trouble of having to look for a meal. *Munch* after a few more bites, then he picked up his things and started his walk. His long walk.  
  
*Yawn* this is tiring. Good thing the weather is behaving itself. Don't know what I'll do if it starts raining anytime soon. Looking around he didn't see any thing that could remotely provide him with enough shelter against the rain. He glanced at the sky again, as if looking for reassurance that there won't be any coming rain. But the sun was glaring at him, giving him the answer. Satisfied with that, he continued his way. And it wasn't long before he set foot on the town he was seeking for.  
  
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The town was bustling with activity. It was pretty small in size. Nothing like Kyoto or Edo. But it looked peaceful enough. Looking around him, he found all the hustle and bustle actually comforting. It gave him a sense of not being alone. Solitude, he realized, was not for him. It gave him time to think about things that were too painful; brought on memories that were too harsh. Maybe someday he would be able to face all those without needing a shield, but for now, he needed a sense of companionship. Even if it was as superficial as this. He walked around a bit, looking for a place to stay the night. He passed by a lot of inns, but most of them were expensive, although they did not look it. And when he asked about the expensive price, most of them replied that since the next town was too far away, and this was the only town in the vicinity, they could afford to raise the price a bit, since weary travelers didn't really have a choice.  
  
*Sigh* Business and the shrewdness that comes with it, he did not understand. He understood the greed and slyness of politics, but commerce was new to him. All the fuss about prices and income were a bit too confusing for his mind. All he knew about was fighting, what did he know about budgets and trade? All in all, he found it a bit frightening.  
  
"Oi! You there. Want a place for the night? Warm beds and a reasonable price." An old man called out from the door of an Inn.  
  
Soujiro's ears perked up at that. Reasonable? Hope so. So far, the only reasonable prices that he had encountered were those of establishments that were too shabby for a human being to stay in. Fit only for the dregs of society. He glanced at the place, and it seemed ok enough. Normal. He approached the owner and asked for the price. (I won't mention prices since I don't know how much things cost those days). He was almost too afraid to hear the answer, but surprisingly, the amount that the man quoted was in fact, reasonable. He never expected it, but he was never one to turn down a blessing when it came to him either.  
  
"I'll take it." He said.  
  
"And how long will you be staying young man?"  
  
"I don't know yet. Probably about a week or so" he still didn't know how long he was going to be able to figure out this murder thing. He didn't even know yet if he was going to be able to help. But since he didn't know what else to do for the moment, having no particular destination in mind ( he is a wanderer now after all) this place seemed to be as good as any.  
  
"Ah I see." They exchanged currencies. Then, "Well, come this way please. I'll show you to your room."  
  
"Doumo"  
  
The man led him up the stairs. He glanced around the establishment and saw that the place was rather empty. the murders must have scared the travelers off But he still wasn't sure, so he thought it was best to ask the owner.  
  
"Anou, Oji-san, why is this place so empty? Aren't there a lot of tourists around? The town looks pretty full after all"  
  
The old man glanced at him, then replied. "Oh, those aren't tourists. Most of the travelers have left days ago. Those people that you've seen are the local residents."  
  
"Left? Why?" Soujiro inquired, though he thought that he most probably knew what the answer to that was going to be.  
  
"Haven't you heard? There has been a chain of murders going on around here. Four to be exact."  
  
Four? Last time he heard, it was only Three. Those killers are pretty diligent with their work. Another murder just in the span of a day. Soujiro got pretty piqued at hearing this. He wondered if it was anybody he knew.  
  
"Well anyway, most of the tourists have been scared off, and now, only the residents who have no choice at all but to stay, are left."  
  
"Ah. Sou ka. Thank you."  
  
They stopped in front of a door.  
  
"No trouble at all. And oh, here you go. This is your room."  
  
The old man opened the door and showed Soujiro inside. He inspected it and found everything to be satisfactory. "Arigatou" The old man nodded and went away. "Call me if you need anything. I'll just be downstairs."  
  
"Ah, Hai!" Soujiro said. Then he closed the door behind him. Hmm. looks comfortable enough. There was an average bed, a water basin, and a chair. To his right, there was a window that provided an ample view of the town. Not bad at all.  
  
He went and sat down on the bed. He tested it a bit, bouncing a little. Hey, this is pretty nice. He continued bouncing around like that, an action that seemed too childish for the former Tenken to be doing. But then, he wasn't the Tenken anymore, so doing things like this should be normal for any young person. He bounced some more, enjoying the simple act. His past had not left him any room for childhood activities, so he was catching up a bit on what he had missed. After a while, he got tired of bouncing around, in fact, he was just plain tired, period! A whole day of walking does nothing for one's energy. And so, he just went up to the basin and washed his face a bit, and went right to bed. *grumble* I haven't eaten yet. But never mind. I'll just do that later when I wake up. He glanced at the window and saw the setting of the sun, right. Just a few hours of sleep then I'll go down and get some dinner and with that, he fell right asleep.  
  
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*GURK!!!!* his stomach protested. And with that, the figure on the bed woke up. He rubbed his eyes a bit. *gurk!!!* HAI! HAI! he patted his stomach. couldn't you have waited a bit? I need to sleep too you know! he told his belly. He looked up, and saw that the sky had already darkened. how long was I asleep? *shrug* Hope there are still some restaurants that are open at this time He got off the bed and checked his money pouch. there's still some left, but this won't last me long. I have to get a job. The sooner the better. But for now. *GRUMBLE* Hai!!!!!!! he thought, frowning a bit. He glared at his stomach, impatient thing! he thought. But having no choice, he went down and looked for the owner.  
  
"Oji-san." he called out, since he found no one downstairs. But there was no answer. He looked around the place some more. He went to the front desk and peered around it. Nobody. where could he be? it wasn't that late. Taking a look outside, Soujiro found that the town was still very active, filled with people and bright lights. maybe I should just go out and look for something on my own then .. *tap* "you called?" He got startled, turned and found the old man staring at him in the face. "oh! Oji-san. There you are. I was looking for you"  
  
"Gomen. I was down at the basement, looking for supplies. What did you want?"  
  
"um.. do you know any good restaurants here? Nothing expensive though."  
  
"Oh, sure. There are a couple of them down the street. The expensive ones belong to another district."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Dou itashimashite"  
  
The young man wandered outside. Walked down the street that was pointed out to him by the owner of the inn. He walked around a bit and finally settled on one of the many restaurants. There wasn't so much people here as compared to the others. He made his way inside and went to an empty table. The place was still busy, so he had to wait for a couple of minutes before a very haggard waitress appeared before him.  
  
"Sorry for the wait sir."  
  
"Oh, its alright." Soujiro said, waving a hand. He didn't mind. It wasn't as if he was used to service after all.  
  
"So what'll it be?"  
  
"I can't think of anything right now. Could you recommend something to me?"  
  
"uh. lets see, our crabs here are good. So's the smoked fish"  
  
"Crabs it is then. No fish." When he traveled, he ate nothing but fish. If he got lucky, he gets to have some fruits too. But most of the time, he ate fish. So there was no way he was going to have that now.  
  
"Ok. Please wait a bit sir. The order might take a bit longer, since our kitchen is pretty busy."  
  
"That's ok. I don't mind"  
  
"Thank you so much." The waitress hurriedly went off to serve another customer who had been hollering impatiently. "Coming sir.."  
  
Soujiro sat quietly by himself, not wanting to attract any attention. There was no particular reason for this, for he had no reason to expect any hostility or danger from anybody here. Nobody knew him in this town. It just came naturally to him to try to be as inconspicuous as possible, it was ingrained to his body, like a second nature. And as is normal for him, he listens intently to everything that was going around. The restaurant was noisy enough to provide much conversation to his ears.  
  
"SAKE!!!!" there was a drunken group to his left. One man looked drunk enough to start a commotion. Soujiro hoped the man wouldn't cause any trouble. He hadn't eaten his dinner yet and so he wouldn't like it if some disruption were to occur and cause the restaurant to delay his meal further. He certainly had the option to stop the drunken man from doing anything serious, but he preferred not to attract any attention to himself as of yet. Better to keep your cards hidden until the time is right for you to show them. Thankfully, the drunkards didn't do anything other than demand more drinks loudly.  
  
"The Akamatsu's are looking for a body guard to protect them."  
  
"Couldn't blame them. They are certainly rich enough to warrant the attention of those killers that are going around here. Better to be safe than sorry."  
  
That particular thread of conversation got Soujiro's attention. He needed a job while staying here. His money was running low. And fighting was what he did best. Yokatta! What luck! he thought. Life certainly was behaving well. He'll just have to ask the owner of the inn that he was staying at later for more information about these so called Akamatsu's.  
  
Somebody appeared before him, and placed his meal on the table. "Sorry for the wait sir. Please enjoy your meal."  
  
"Itadakimasu!" Soujiro said. After those good news that he just heard, he was going to enjoy his meal even more. Tonight I'll sleep well and then tomorrow, I'll ask oji-san about the Akamatsu's and hopefully, get a job real soon and with that thought in mind, he happily munched away at his crabs.  
  
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AN: Next chapter, Soujiro gets to meet the Akamatsu's. and maybe meet somebody that he knows? *grins* hope you enjoyed this chapter people! Reviews please!!!  
  
Mayorie ^_^' 


	3. a job?

AN (more like author's ranting): its our exam week! *groans* I barely have enough time to sleep. Damn our teachers! Imagine giving an exam that covers the whole book!!!!! It would have been ok we had only one subject! But imagine having 2-3 exams in one day and each of them consists of 18 chapters!!!!! I only sleep for about 2 hours a day! I study till 5am and wake up to study again at 7am! See my eyebags? *points at NONEXISTENT* black things under her eyes... Ok, so I don't have eye bags! I never did. Being Chinese has its perks. My eyes are so chinky that eyebags don't have enough space. *continues rambling*. Our accounting exam was about the entire book! I'm so angry that I'm writing a fiction (with fake names of course! He isn't worthy to have his name posted on the internet!) about our horrid accounting teacher! *evil glint comes to her eyes* I'll show him! BWAHAHAHA!!!! I'll tell the whole world about his umm.. Horridness! *grins* He should get eternal damnation! *slashes her sword at her accounting teacher and shouts* DIVINE PUNISHMENT!!!!!  
  
Anyway, sorry for dragging the chapters along. I can't seem to figure out what to do with my story. *turns red with embarrassment* Heh hehh hehh.. Well, here's my attempt at a plot. Hope it turns out ok. (this chapter is a bit longer than my usual)  
  
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"Ohayou" Soujiro called out to the owner. He had rested well last night and was now feeling rather cheerful. Not that he wasn't always cheerful, but today, he really felt like it. Not those forced smiles that he used to give out. His stomach was pretty quiet too. No grumblings that awoke him early in the morning. So Soujiro was pretty much looking forward to the day, which he predicted, was going go along nicely.  
  
"Ohayou boya" the old man hollered. "Going anywhere today?"  
  
"Hai. As a matter of fact, I was just about to ask you if you know anything about the Akamatsu's"  
  
"The Akamatsu's? why would you want to know anything about them? Do you know somebody from that family?" the owner asked, perplexed as to how a newcomer such as Soujiro could have heard about one of the most influential families in town.  
  
"Oh no. nothing like that. I just overheard some men talking yesterday about how that family was looking for some body guards. I was hoping to fill in that position since I need a job during my stay here."  
  
The old man looked at Soujiro intently, peering at him with his old eyes. Then he went around the young boy, who was too bewildered to do anything other than stand still and let himself be inspected.  
  
"Uh. Anou. what are you doing Oji-san?" Soujiro asked when after a few moments, the old man still didn't stop from going around him, poking him about.  
  
"Did I just hear you correctly? You want to become a bodyguard?"  
  
"Uh. hai.." Soujiro began to look uneasy. What is this old man up to?  
  
*Poke*  
  
*Poke, poke*  
  
*Poke, poke, poke*  
  
Soujiro sweatdropped. What is he doing?! Soujiro thought, but being his polite self, he refrained from asking. *Poke* Suddenly.  
  
"HAHAHAHAHAH.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The old man fell into a laughing fit.  
  
Startled at the sudden sound, Soujiro couldn't help but stare at the weird old man. Soujiro didn't understand what the hell was going on. So he just waited for the old man to calm down a bit before asking his question.  
  
"Anou, what's so funny Oji-san?"  
  
At that, the old man began laughing hysterically again.  
  
Soujiro was getting confused. He didn't get why the man was laughing so hard. His question seemed reasonable enough. There was nothing remotely funny about it.  
  
The old man was now hunched forward, tears streaming down his face as he tried to control his laughter. "I. *gasp* .. Can't breath..*gasp* hah.. hahaahaa.."  
  
Any normal person in this situation would have been greatly insulted. But Soujiro was far from normal The former Tenken just stood there with a very confused look on his face. looks like I have to wait for a while before I can get some answers he thought. By the look on his face, one could tell that he really thought that the old owner had gone insane. The owner stole a glance at his young customer. Seeing the wide confusion there, he finally tried to stop laughing, taking pity on the boy who had been so patient with him. After all, it really wasn't nice to laugh at one's customer. Especially one as nice and polite as this one.  
  
"Gomen nasai boya. I didn't mean any insult. I was just too surprised by your remark. I was caught off guard."  
  
"ah. its ok. But what exactly did you find so funny about it?" Soujiro asked again, still not understanding what the old man had meant.  
  
"Well, don't you look kind of young to be a body guard? You look a bit on the thin side too." The old man had actually wanted to say that Soujiro looked scrawny, but since that wasn't a very nice thing to say to an innocent person who hadn't done anything wrong, he held his tongue about it.  
  
"Size doesn't really matter that much in fighting Oji-san." Soujiro said Though this time, there was amusement in his voice. He really couldn't blame him for his opinion. So many people had already underestimated the Tenken because of his age and size, and it always worked to his advantage, being able to surprise his enemies by his skill. So he didn't really take the comment to heart since he knew that the old man meant well, even if he was a bit too 'jovial' about it.  
  
"You're right. I shouldn't have laughed at you." The old man admitted, even though he still inwardly thought that his opinion was right. But he liked the boy, and he didn't have the heart to tell him what he really thought. "So what do you want to know about the Akamatsu's?" the old man finally asked, in a more serious tone.  
  
"anything that might help. Starting with where I might be able to find them."  
  
"oh that's easy. Everybody in town knows that. They own one of the biggest houses here. Its on the west side of town. Far away from most of the residences and establishments. That family keeps to themselves mostly. Can't say I blame them, what with them being so rich and everything, and the financial gap between the townspeople and them being so great. But they're nice though. Very respectful to everybody here. Can't find anything to complain about that family." The old man said.  
  
"Ah. Sou ka. So how many members are there?"  
  
"hmm. let's see. There's Mr and Mrs. Akamatsu, and they have 3 children all in all. 2 boys and one little girl. Can't remember their names. I must really be getting old." He cackled and slapped his knee, amused by what he said.  
  
Soujiro just quirked a brow. The old owner was weird, but he was nice enough, so Soujiro just let him be. "Thank you very much Oji-san."  
  
"oh think nothing of it." The old man said, finally back to his normal self.  
  
"Well, I must get going now. I really need that job. If I don't hurry, others might beat me to it." He said. "Ja! Mata ne!" and with a wave of goodbye, he was off.  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *  
  
A huge mansion loomed over him. It looked majestic, but solitary. No sound was heard. Some would call it tranquil, but some may also call it "dead". Personally, Soujiro would have preferred to hear the noise and laughter of happy people over this kind of silence any day.  
  
*knock* Soujiro had pulled on the brass doorknocker and the sound it made echoed throughout the place. Mou. This place is so empty. He thought as he raised the doorknocker again. *Knock*  
  
The door opened, and there stood an old man. "Can I help you sir?"  
  
"Ah yes. I heard that this residence is looking for a bodyguard. I would like to inquire if that position is still available."  
  
The butler (ok I don't know if they called them "butlers" in Japan, but you get my meaning don't you?) looked at him with distaste, his eyes moving from Soujiro's feet up towards his head. And he didn't look all too pleased with what he saw.  
  
"I'm sorry boy. But we have no time for your games." The butler said, obviously thinking that Soujiro was playing some kind of prank. And with that, he started to close the door.  
  
"Chotto matte kudasai!" Soujiro cried. But the butler either didn't hear him or just chose to ignore him. Either way it was no good for Soujiro who had been hoping to nail this job.  
  
*Sigh* looks like I'll have to look for another job tomorrow then. Too bad I can't just go around telling people that I used to be the Tenken. But then, if I do that they'll probably just call the police and then I'll be in more trouble. What advantage I had in fighting because of my age and size has now become a disadvantage. shaking his head at his plight, he headed back to town.  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *  
  
"Konnichiwa!" the old man happily greeted him upon his arrival at the inn. He was getting fond of the boy. So polite and so calm. You can't find many teenagers like that these days.  
  
"Konnichiwa." Soujiro greeted back, with the usual smile that you can find on his face.  
  
"So how did the job go? Did you get it?" The old man asked. Although it was a matter of being polite rather than out of pure curiosity. He already knew the answer to that. Nobody would hire a boy to protect them from murderers. Especially a boy with such a small frame as this one.  
  
"Iya. They thought I was playing some kind of prank." He said sheepishly a hand at the back of his head.  
  
"Ahh well, too bad. But you could always go look for another job right? How about something simpler? Like washing the dishes?" The old man suggested.  
  
*Gulp* Washing the dishes? But then, what choice do I have. I need to stay here, and money is needed if I am to stay *Shrug* "Sure why not. How bad can it be? So do you know a place that is in need of a dishwasher?" Soujiro said, already warming up to the idea. It didn't seem so bad. After all, what's in washing dishes? There's no shame. Sure, he may not have much of an experience, but how difficult can it be right?.  
  
"The Hoshii restaurant a couple of blocks away needs one. They've been looking for one for a couple of days now. But since the locals already have stable jobs, and those recent murders have scared all the travelers away, they had some difficulty finding somebody to fill the position."  
  
"Lucky for me then. Their loss is my gain." He said, smiling.  
  
"Good, good." The old man said, nodding with approval. He liked the boy's attitude.  
  
"I think I'll get some lunch now and go over there later. My stomach has been complaining."  
  
"Hahaha.. well, you're still growing. And it would be better if you did fill out some more. Add some bulk to your frame."  
  
"Hai! Ja then. I'll see you later." He said, moving towards the door.  
  
"Good luck in getting the job. Gambatte!" the old man cried to Soujiro's departing form. He hoped that the boy would get the job, he liked having him here. Having a job would ensure to some extent Soujiro's stay in his Inn.  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *  
  
He decided to go directly to the restaurant. Since he was in need of food and a job, why not hit two birds with one stone, he thought. The place was quite nice. Simple and average looking. Good. he thought, he would find it awkward to work in an expensive place. He wasn't used to having expensive things, and wouldn't know how to act in a surrounding filled with it. Makes it easier for me to fit in.  
  
The place isn't so full today. He noticed. He took a seat at a table at the far right of the room. And when approached, he ordered his usual soba and miso soup (I don't know what Soujiro likes to eat, so I just assumed he likes eating simple things. And these two are about the simplest that I could think of). His meal was pretty uneventful. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, so he was left alone in peace. He didn't have much time for internal ramblings as is his norm when given time to himself, since he was pretty busy contemplating about his "application" for the job. So all in all, Soujiro ate in silence, both physically and mentally.  
  
Having no distractions, he finished eating rather quickly. And when a waitress appeared to collect the bill, Soujiro popped his question. "Anou, ojou-san, I heard that you had an opening for a dishwashing job here.."  
  
The waitress's face, after hearing that sentence, visibly brightened. "Hai!" She cried enthusiastically. Too enthusiastic.  
  
Are they that desperate for a dishwasher? Hmm. maybe they'll offer to pay me more if they are in that dire a need. Soujiro thought, brightening up a bit too.  
  
"Ah, I would like to apply for that position. Who do I speak to about it?" He inquired, now a bit anxious for the job. The thought seems to be a bit more prospecting now than before. Now at least there was the possibility of a bigger pay. And he had already gotten used to the idea. Washing, to him, doesn't sound too hard. Maybe not as interesting and challenging as swordfighting, but definitely easier and less pressured.  
  
The waitress was practically bouncing by now. "Come this way please. I'll take you to the owner." She motioned for Soujiro to follow her, and he got the impression that the waitress was restraining herself from hopping and skipping as she led the way. Soujiro thought it was strange to get such a reaction by merely applying for a meager job, but finding no explanation for it, he just shrugged it off.  
  
They came upon a door at the back end of the restaurant. After a couple of knocks, a voice told them to enter. Upon going inside the room, Soujiro found the owner to be a middle aged man, around 40 or so, who was swamped with paper works. He saw a couple of figures that could have been prices or some other form of currency, but he wasn't sure, after all, what did he know about business? The owner looked a bit haggard, but upon seeing the beaming look on the waitress' face, he lightened up a bit, expecting good news.  
  
"Sir, this boy would like to apply for the dishwashing position."  
  
The owner's face definitely brightened up now. And Soujiro was getting the feeling that there was more to this job than what could be expected. And so when the owner repeated the question to him, trying to make sure if he really wanted the job, with a very hopeful look on his face, Soujiro nodded with a bit of trepidation.  
  
The man looked as if he wanted to hug Soujiro then and there! And Soujiro's uneasiness increased. What's wrong with this job? He got the feeling there was something that they weren't telling him.  
  
"How soon can you start?" the owner asked, a bit too excitedly for Soujiro's liking.  
  
"Tomorrow?" was the hesitant reply.  
  
"Yosh!" The owner approached him, whacking him a bit on the back. "That's good to hear. Report here tomorrow morning around 7am." The owner said, dismissing the boy so that there would be no time to change his mind. Tomorrow would be soon enough.  
  
But when Soujiro still made no motion to go outside, the owner began to feel dejected, thinking that maybe the boy was having second thoughts. And so he asked a bit hesitantly "was there anything else?"  
  
"Anou, if it isn't too rude, may I ask how much I would be getting for this job?"  
  
The owner looked relieved. And mentioned an amount. Hey, the salary is a bit bigger than I expected. Yokatta!!!! Soujiro thought, inwardly doing his mental version of a victory dance.  
  
"Arigatou. Ja then, I'll see you tomorrow." And with that Soujiro went outside with a smile, his earlier fears dismissed to the back of his mind. He had a job!  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *  
  
Seeing the smile on his young customer's face, the old man was expecting good news. So when the boy walked in the Inn, the owner immediately began his friendly interrogation. "So what happened? Did you get the job?"  
  
Seeing the enthusiasm of the old man made Soujiro happy. It felt nice to have someone care about you, even in this meager way. "Hai! I am to report immediately tomorrow. They looked kind of desperate for a dishwasher though." He said, leaving out the part where he felt that the restaurant was too desperate. He didn't think the old man needed to hear that. He got the job, and that's all that counts. That way, he can assure the owner of the inn that he can continue to pay for his stay here. The fears that come with a new job were his alone, no need to tell anybody else about it. Especially if one's fear is as insignificant and petty as this one.  
  
"Nah! They were just glad to have you on board." The old man replied loyally. " and since you now have a new job, we have a reason to celebrate! Dinner!!!"  
  
"eto. Oji-san." Soujiro said looking a bit uneasy, "I hate to break this to you, but I don't have any money." A telltale blush tinted his cheeks a bit.  
  
"Don't worry! Tonight is on me!" was the excited reply. "I know a really good restaurant!"  
  
"Hontou ni? Well, I wouldn't want to impose.."  
  
"Think nothing of it!" The old man cried, whacking Soujiro at the back a bit too hard.  
  
Soujiro stumbled forward and smiled weakly "Ah. Arigatou!"  
  
"Why don't you do some sight seeing and just meet me back here tonight?"  
  
He shrugged. "Saa! Why not? See you then." He said, bowing and going out.  
  
The day was still clear, and it was the perfect time to roam around and see the town. People were busy walking up and down the streets, some doing business, the others simply spending time, like him, at leisure. He enjoyed times like these. It reminded him that the era truly was peaceful. Oh sure he joined Shishio in the art of warfare, and he truly believed Shishio's ideals at that time. But now, after seeing all the carefree attitude of the people, he began to change his opinion. Shishio-san, life isn't all about being strong after all. I still don't know what its really about, but at least now I know that its not all about survival. I know you have your ideals Shishio-san, and I respect them, but now I have my own as well.  
  
He walked all over town, and got to see a lot. He went to a few stores, although he didn't purchase anything. Extra money wasn't something that he had plenty of. All the cash that he had were just enough for his stay here. That's why he went looking for a job. He glanced to his left and saw a store that displayed some frilly dresses with huge flowing bottoms. Is that what people are wearing nowadays? What they call .. What's the word.. 'Fashionable'? The influence of the west was beginning to affect Japan. Even the dress codes. It all looks so strange. He thought. But he just shrugged it off. After all, what did a boy like him know about fashion.  
  
He walked through a certain street, which was strangely full of people. But that never was a problem for him. His former lifestyle had taught him how to weave in and out of a crowd effortlessly without being noticed. But as he passed through the mob of people, he thought that he saw a familiar form on the other side. But as he got out of the flow of the crowd, the figure was already gone. Must be imagining things he thought, already dismissing his earlier idea from his mind.  
  
After a few more hours of walking, he soon got tired and decided to go back to the inn to take a nap. He still had a few more hours until it was time for dinner.  
  
As he got back, he didn't see the owner, and so he just headed directly for his room. The sight of his bed filled him with joy. He plopped down and immediately went to sleep.  
  
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AN: ok, I know I said that "maybe" Soujiro would meet somebody in this chapter, but, unfortunately, I have to postpone that for the next one. Gomen! I didn't anticipate that I would be dragging this chapter for this long! (has anyone noticed that every chapter I make always ends with soujiro sleeping? I haven't noticed it till now! Something must be wrong with me!!!! *bonks herself on the head*) 


End file.
